What Can You Do?

What Can You Do?

By TLB Contributing Author: Lucille Femine

Ever hear that expression? It’s usually said with a shake of the head and a sigh from old ladies. That’s my memory, anyway. I grew up Italian and I have vivid recall of them sitting in black dresses they’ve worn for twenty years since their husbands died and lamenting about human deficiency. They’re not really asking. They’re saying there’s NOTHING you can do about it.

So it is with many alternative and most mainstream news sites alike (not this one) that tell you – often accurately – all the horrors and only the horrors of the universe that includes your backyard.

What’s the point of all that? Do you need to know? That’s a serious question. First – how do you feel when you read all that professional bad news, so full of facts? Stuff you feel you can’t dispute? That’s the first thought. Because if it makes you feel like you better just settle for a hole in the wall and hope nobody kills you for saying something like “everyone has rights”, then why?? Does it make you feel life is truly worth living? Honestly. Is that where you want to spend your energy?

If you say yes and that’s it’s important to be informed, well, you’re partly right. It’s all viewpoints. You know, the old glass empty or glass full thing. How do you want to see the world? Because how you see it in all its components is how it is. See it like it is and then tell it like it is. It’s vital that you share optimism and real solutions. It’s the antidote to this planet’s demise.

So, with that in mind, CAN you do something? The bad news gurus will say you can’t. You will see that if you read between the lines – if you get that far without throwing up. And that’s my second point. Bad news will make you sick. Literally. Think back to the last time you got sick. Then go a bit further and see if there was a particularly nasty piece of news you came across that curled and shrunk your soul into something similar to ear wax.

I’m not saying illness only comes from listening to the news. Could be anybody. But the media is always a distinct source. Bless their souls for keeping us abreast.

I’m not knocking conspiracy theories and such. They’re fascinating. More often than not, though, they just have grains of truth that make the whole thing appear truthful. So do they really nourish your understanding? Does ice cream and candy nourish or simply thrill your taste-buds? And doesn’t too much make you sick with heart disease or diabetes or cancer?

You may be heartily disagreeing right now and saying I have my head buried in the ground. I’ve often wondered that myself. Am I avoiding reality? Well, as I said above, it’s how you see it. To take that further, it’s also how you create it. You walk into a room full of people and see it as beautiful, maybe with just a radiant smile, and suddenly many of the others look around and see it that way. I’m not saying you’re manipulating their thoughts but you are offering them a positive viewpoint simply by feeling and knowing it in your heart. They can take it or leave it. You should care for them either way. And they may go home and see their world that way.

I remember when I was young with four kids. My house was an absolute mess all the time. One day, I visited a friend who had four kids also but her house was neat and orderly. I was so impressed, I went home and spent hours cleaning up. Felt great. Most important, I knew it could be done.

But nobody lectured me on my inferior housekeeping. Or told me how bad it was. That’s just not the way. It’s the same mechanism as the news – it’s all bad and – I should add here – it’s because YOU ARE BAD. Remember YOU caused global warming? Stop breathing so much, for God’s sake.

What can you do? Whatever you decide. But first you decide you can. Because that’s an absolute truth. It’s not a theory or some airy-fairy positive thinking thing. But the key word is “do”.

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Here’s another poem I wrote that seems to fit:

Wolves at the Door

With wolves at the door,
Peace of mind no more.
Serve them a cup of sorrow,
You’ll feed them tomorrow.

You will?

I’ll feed you when I can, you say.
Just give me another day.
You show them the empty bowl;
Inside, seems to be a hole.

You can?

Talk is not food, they know.
Enough of this show!
I have no more, you plead;
You can feel for my need!

They can?

With cavernous mouths open,
And no time for more jokin’,
You slam the door on their snouts.
They’re truly gone, no doubt!

They are?

Next day they come back,
No anger do they lack.
It’s grown from their hunger
And your clever maneuver.

It was?

What to do in this abyss
To recover your bliss?
Get busy loving life with passion;
Soothe all beasts in this fashion.

It does.

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TLB Note: Lucille is a longtime friend and contributor to TLB. She is also an author, writer, researcher, podcast show host, activist, and an exceptional artist to boot! To enjoy more of Lucille’s wisdom, research and presentation … CLICK HERE

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